


Space

by bagpussjocken



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Gen, Sad Monkey
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-18
Updated: 2014-01-18
Packaged: 2018-01-09 02:56:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1140615
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bagpussjocken/pseuds/bagpussjocken
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An off hand comment from Steve causes Danny and Steve to come to some startling revelations about Grace's feelings towards her broken families.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Space

**Author's Note:**

> Set slightly AU - In this story Danny won custody and Rachel is now living in Las Vegas with Step-Stan and Charlie.

Steve wandered in to the lounge and shook his head at the mess that littered the floor.

Danny was sprawled on the couch watching football, a half empty beer bottle sitting on the cluttered table in front of him – he acted like he could not even see the destruction all around him. Board games and colouring pens, playing cards and books.

 Steve sighed and picked his way through the mess, bending down and sighing loudly as he collected the remnants of dinner plates from the coffee table and neighbouring area's.

“You okay babe?” Danny asked, his eyes flicking from the screen to his boyfriends face as he heard Steve sigh.

“No I'm really not okay. Look at this place Danny! It's a pig sty.”

 Danny had never been much of a housekeeper but even he could see they had trashed the house that weekend, ever since Rachel had gone off to live in Vegas with Stan and their son Charlie, Grace had lived with them, and as it was the same routine every Sunday- they lazed around and made a mess and Steve and Danny cleaned it all up on Monday – they were the heads of Five – 0 , they could show up late for work unless they were really needed.

 “It's not that bad, just surface clutter, let me get a trash bag and we will clean up now okay?” Danny told him as he levered himself from the couch, he could see Steve was still in a pissy mood from work the previous week and had done a great job of hiding his stress from Grace all weekend, but now he looked ready to blow.

 “Danny it is that bad,look at this place! I don't understand how it can get so messy in the space of one day! Also that girl should also be helping as she made most of this mess!” Steve told him hotly gesturing to the stairs blindly, he heard Danny take a sharp intake of breath as he turned and saw he was pointing directly at Grace who was standing half way up, her eyes wide and her lower lip trembling.

 “What the fuck Steven!” Danny shouted as Grace turned and fled back to her room, her little feet making no sound in their wake.

 Steve looked at Danny in shock and shook his head in disbelief, he heard Grace's door close quietly and sunk in to the couch with his head in his hands.

 “I didn't realise she was there I swear Danny! I thought she was asleep, you know I didn't mean it the way it sounded....I ….Jesus I'm so sorry.” 

Danny paced in front of him for a moment and then stopped as Grace walked back down the stairs, her face flushed and her eyes bright with spilled tears.

 “It's okay Daddy I have no right to treat Steve's house this way, I'll clean it up right away” she walked in front of Steve and spoke softly as he looked up at her.

 “I'm sorry Mr McGarrett it won't happen again” She told him politely as she moved away, Steve's eyes went wide at her words and he swung his gaze to Danny's in shock as she walked in to the kitchen.

 “Danny? What the hell!” Steve whispered at him, standing and craning his neck to see where Grace had gone.

 Danny just looked at him in shock, his daughter hadn't called Steve that since the fist time they had met at the football game, it had always been Steve or more recently Uncle Steve.

 Grace walked back in the room clutching a trash bag and began silently collecting the rubbish from the floor, the two men stood in shock watching their little girl as she silently cleaned up her board games and stacked her books neatly on top of them.

 “Monkey? Stop okay, its okay Steve didn't mean what he said he has just had a rough week is all, hey Monkey look at me” Danny told his daughter as he crouched beside her.

 Grace raised her head and looked her father in the eye, he noted they were flat and sad and for some reason the fire that used to burn with fun and life was squashed out...he didn't believe for a moment it was because of one crass comment from Steve, more was going on with his babygirl than he realised.

 “Its okay Daddy really. I should have more respect for your home, I'll take these up stairs now and go to bed, good night” 

 “Gracie wait, this is your home too, yours and Danno's you know that.” Steve told her as she moved to the bottom of the stairs, she turned to look at him for a moment and he felt his heart stutter at her face, she nodded in agreement and carried on back up the stairs.

 “Danny what the fuck is going on? I never meant that the way it sounded, I was just in a pissy mood and ...fuck! She called it YOUR home, not hers. Since when has she thought that! She has been living here for almost six months now... I thought she was happy here.” Steve's voice broke as he stared at his partner.

 “I thought that too...I really don't know Steve. I'm gonna go check on her okay?” and with that Danny set off in the same direction his daughter had taken a few minutes before.

 Tapping lightly on her bedroom door he paused to see if she would answer, when no sound came from within he creaked open the door and saw she was sleeping soundly, her much loved brown stuffed monkey hugged tight to her side like always.

 The monkey that had been bought by Danny the day she was born,the same monkey that she hugged fiercely as he gathered his belongings when he had found out Rachel was cheating on him with Stan, the same tattered monkey that she had gripped tightly in her hand as she hugged him goodbye at the airport when she had left New Jersey to move Hawaii, and now he was there again, staring accusingly at Danny as his little girl's life was rocked once again.

Danny closed the door silently and walked back to the where Steve was still sitting on the couch, as soon as he saw the blonde descend the stairs he was on his feet and worry was etched in his features.

 “Is she okay? What did she say? Does she know I didn't mean it?” he asked, the words falling over each other as he met Danny at the bottom of the stairs.

 Danny shook his head “No she's sleeping, I'll speak to her in the morning and clear everything up okay? Don't worry its just a teenage thing I am sure” Danny told him. Fighting to keep the worry from his voice.

 Steve nodded and taking Danny's hand they walked back up the stairs to their bedroom, suddenly he felt exhausted and wrung out and had no clue how he was going to face Gracie in the morning.

 Danny and Steve climbed in to bed, both of them not speaking as the evenings events played over in their minds, Danny fell asleep around midnight but Steve was still wide awake, his mind replaying the words from Grace over and over.

 At around 3am he must have drifted to sleep when a slight noise from downstairs made him sit up in bed on full alert, grabbing his gun he slid silently from his lovers embrace and slipped out the door, his eyes adjusting to the dark as he held his gun in readiness.

 Moving silently down the stairs he heard a soft thud and frowned as he realised it came from the kitchen, Someone was moving around and trying to be quiet about it – rounding the doorway his gun raised Steve nearly fainted with shock when he saw Grace taking her pictures from the front of the fridge and dropping them in to a box at her feet.

 “Gracie?” he whispered loudly, lowering his gun and clicking the safety on as she turned to look at him.

 “I'm sorry if I woke you, I didn't mean it” her voice was flat and her eyes red from tears.

 Steve put his gun on top of the fridge as he crouched in front of her, she looked at him and then turned and carried on unsticking the various pictures she had drawn from the front of the fridge door,making sure she left any notes that Steve and Danny had left in place.

 “Gracie? Baby? What are you doing?” he whispered, he saw her shake her head and chuckle unhappily, turning her eyes to him they suddenly seemed so old and tired as she shook her head and moved away, collecting her favourite glass and mug from the cupboard as she moved around the kitchen.

 “You don't have to call me cute nicknames any more Mr McGarrett.” she told him as she dumped some stuff in to the box and moved in the lounge room with it.

“Hey please stop calling me that, and I have always called you nicknames...Gracie stop please I'm sorry, I had a shitty week and things just got caught up in my head and you know I love you.”

 Grace turned to look at him and she shook her head sadly, biting her lip to stop it trembling she whispered “You don't have to be nice to me any more, I get it okay? You have my Dad now, like you wanted and then you got me dumped on you both and I know that's not what you wanted, no one ever does you see.”

 Behind her Steve saw movement and realised Danny was standing on the top of the stairs watching them both, Steve made a small gesture with his eyes and Danny understood to keep out of sight for the moment.

 “Gracie I don't understand ...” Steve started only to jump when Grace screamed at him.

 “STOP CALLING ME THAT! You don't have to pretend any more! Daddy is here! He loves you, you love him! I am happy he has found someone to love him I really am. Just please stop pretending with me, I know how this works! I have lived this half of my life already Mr McGarrett.” She turned and continued dropping her belongings in to the box she was holding, a CD, a DVD, a few colouring pens that had slipped under the edge of the coffee table.

 “Grace listen to me, I love you, I have loved you from the moment you were sassy at the football game... how could I not love you Grace. You're a wonderful, smart,funny and beautiful little girl.” he told her, taking her gently by the shoulders he led her to the couch and sat her down next to him.

 She shook her head sadly at his, dropping the box at her feet as she turned to look at him.

 “You say that now, maybe you even believe that now but it never lasts, never for me anyway.” at his confused look she continued.

 “I was a good girl back in Jersey, I thought if I am good then Mummy and Daddy will stop screaming at each other but they didn't, I ate all my greens, I never spilled my milk at the dinner table I did as I was told and it didn't work you see, Daddy left and Mummy moved on with Stan and suddenly here we were, Hawaii, paradise? That's what Stan told me...we were moving to paradise...but it isn't is it? Its the same as Jersey, no matter what I do, what I try, everything goes the same way. Mummy and Stan screaming at each other, Daddy promising we were moving home to Jersey and then he didn't show at the airport and mummy cried the whole way back on the plane, all of the promises she made to Stan on the phone while we was there and then Charlie came along and suddenly I was in the way even more...all the money they wasted on me in the court cases only to lose and leave me here with Daddy while they started a new life in Vegas as the family they always wanted.” her voice was shaking as she spoke.

 Steve watched her his heart breaking for the little girl who's life had been turned upside down again and again.

 “Grace...” he started but she held up her hand and looked at him, her eyes so much like Danny's at that moment that it took his breath away.

 “No I understand Mr McGarrett, You love my daddy and now he lives with you ,I have to too and I'm sorry I am in the way in your family now. I never meant to make you and Daddy angry by living here but I realise I have slipped and not been the good girl I promised I would be again. Look its okay, I'm okay. See ?” she told him gesturing to the box at her feet.

 “All my junk will be out of the way, you won't even know I live here I promise, and its only a few more years until I go to college really so I will be out of your hair by then. Just don't make daddy sad okay? I want him to be happy so much. I didn't realise all this stuff was all over your house but I will put in the spare room where I am staying right now and it will all go back to normal. I asked my friends if I can stay over at their houses on different nights of the week so I won't be here hardly anyway.” as she spoke she went to stand and Steve caught her by the wrist and tugged her in to his arms, burying his face in her hair as the tears slipped down his face.

 At the same moment he heard Danny run down the stairs, catching his daughter tight in his arms as he told her he was sorry over and over.

 “Daddy its really okay, just don't argue about me please?” she begged him as he held her tight.

 “Baby I love you so much, I never realised how messed up me and your mother were. You are my daughter and you always will be, Steve loves you too Monkey you know that, we're family, us, for always I promise you” he told his little girl.

 Grace looked at him with bright tear filled eyes and shook her head sadly, stroking her hand softly down the side of his face she leaned forward and kissed his cheek tenderly before she stepped away.

 “There is never an 'always' Danno, that's what happens in fairy stories, not for me. There has never been space for me in your lives I know that, I love you Daddy I just want you to be happy.” she told them as she picked up her box and walked back up the stairs in silence.

 Danny turned to Steve and buried his face in his lovers neck and broke, his heart was aching from the words he had heard his daughter say, all the crap he had thought he had gone through was nothing compared to his daughter – she had stood on the sidelines and watched her entire world fall apart again and again and had no control over it.

 “Steve what do I do? What the fuck do I do! She thinks she has to act like she doesn't live here for me to be happy, she thinks if she is good and silent and obeys then her life doesn't get turned upside down! Fuck what have me and Rachel done to that little girl?” 

 Steve shook his head and was at a loss for words, his one random comment had made Grace think her world was caving in yet again, her words echoed in his ears as he led a weeping Danny back to the bedroom.

 'There has never been any space for me in your lives' the words reeled around his head as he held Danny tight as he sobbed himself in to a fretful sleep, at 6am he heard Grace get up and move about in her usual fashion, getting ready for school.

 Taking a deep breath he walked down to the kitchen and found the coffee bubbling in the maker as it always was, a silly simple thing like that and he had never noticed, She always made sure the coffee was made before either he or Danny were even awake.

 He saw her standing out on the edge of the beach, dressed and ready for school on time like always, he had always marveld how she was always ready, never bitched and moaned about getting up early like most teenagers did, she rarely asked them for anything that wasn't school related he suddenly realised. His heart tugged as he realised if she didn't ask so she wasn't noticed, she just trundled along with the knowledge that as soon as she was old enough she would be thrown out and forgotten somehow.

 “Good morning Steve” she told him as she turned and caught him staring at her.

 “Morning Grace...look about last night..” he began but she cut him off with a shake of her head.

 “It's best its out in the open, I'll be home around 3pm to collect my bag, I'm staying with Amanda tonight. Tell Danno I love him and you both be safe okay?” and with that she turned and left, it was as if last night had almost not happened.

 Danny came down the stairs 10 minuets later looking like hell, he grabbed them both a coffee.

 “She's gone to school, Danny look I have an idea it might be terrible but it might be a start of proving to her that we want her living with us, that we're her family.” Steve told him, Danny looked at him warily as he laid out his plan, nodding in agreement as his heart broke over and over as he thought of his daughter.

 “Steve if this doesn't work then me and Grace are moving out, I have to prove to her she is my life babe, I love you so much but she's my monkey...she's the reason I breathe” Danny told him as his voice croaked over the last words.

 Steve nodded in understanding and in his head he planned how to keep his family together, Calling Chin, Kono and Kamekona he set the wheels in motion. Favours were called in and many swear words were passed around the house that day in the hope of making the broken unit a home. 

 At 3pm Grace walked up to the front door and was surprised to see both the Truck and Camero sitting side by side outside, taking a deep breath she squared her shoulders and walked in all ready to make them understand.

 Stepping inside she wrinkled her nose at the smell of paint, wondering what new ideas Steve had come up with now. She smiled as she thought of him, so big and strong and goofy when it came to her father, they were truly a match made in heaven and she was so happy her dad had someone who loved him like he was the precious thing on earth, and Grace knew her Danno felt the same about Steve – they had dodged each other for three years before realising what everyone else Hawaii already knew, they were made for each other.

She made a silent prayer that this time Danno would be happy, what with her cheating mother and that stupid Gabby woman leaving him, he deserved someone to see just how wonderful he was, and she was so happy it had been Steve, he was giant of a man and so funny, he was brave and handsome and besotted with her Dad.

 “Monkey? Could you come upstairs for a moment please?” she heard her father call as she closed the door behind her. Sighing she carried her school bag upstairs and was greeted with Steve and Danno standing on the landing outside Mary's old room.

 “Now I want you to listen to me Grace Williams, before I show you anything that has been done around here today. I want to make things very clear that I love you, we both do, You are the reason I fought in court, the reason I moved to Hawaii, the reason I mellowed enough to fall in love with this Neanderthal, I saw how much you loved each other, I watched as you swam together and scared the life out of me when he taught you to surf, he didn't do any of that to 'keep' me , he didn't even have me then and we both know that, he did it because he can see what a special little girl you are.” Danny told her as she stood watching them with wary eyes.

 Grace raised her eyes to Steve's and he could see her remembering all the things they had done together, the movie nights when Danno would crash out on the couch and it would be just them laughing at some stupid movie on TV, or surfing while Danno was out running errands and he never even knew they had been in the water when he returned. He bit his lip as he watched tears gathering in her eyes at the slight realisation that maybe he did care for her and not just because of her father.

 “Gracie I want you to know this is you're home for as long as you want it baby, I know we never got around to decorating your room like I promised...work and surfing and just everything got in the way and I apologise for that.” Steve spoke softly as he opened the door in front of them.

 Grace stepped inside and tears rolled down her cheeks as she saw the freshly painted walls in her favourite shade of purple, a beautiful white princess bed dominated one wall while on the other stood a white dresser and vanity table, a scrolled mirror sitting on top. She looked back at her father and Steve and frowned.

 “How did you know this is what I wanted I never said a word...” she whispered.

 “I noticed the things you were looking at in those magazine's we get with the paper. We do notice you Gracie, we love you and I want you to feel at home here” Steve explained as Danny wiped tears from his eyes as he watched Grace move around the room, hesitatingly toughing things.

 “How did you manage to do all of this?” 

 “Well Five-0 had an important case today, operation Gracie – and Kamekona helped us out too” Danny explained as she looked around.

 She suddenly noticed her belongs were all around the room, the belongings that she had carefully and tidily stacked in the closet and garage. Her books on the shelves, her photo's on the walls, a new DVD and TV set up in one corner a CD player in the other, white lace curtains billowing through the open window, she looked down and saw the old carpet was gone and a fresh new purple one in its place.

“You didn't have to do all this.” she told them softly.

 “Monkey I should have not done many things to you in you're life, this? This is what should have been here from the moment you moved in. This is you're home.” Danny told her as he hugged her tight to his chest, exhaling as he felt her body soften and hug him tightly back.

 

“Thank you Daddy” she whispered, she looked over his shoulder at Steve and opened her arms to him too, including him in the hug. Steve welcomed the feel of the two people he adored most in the world holding him tight, he brushed his lips over first Grace's then Danny's hair.

 “Come on I have a couple of other things to show you” Steve told her as he dragged her from the room. Danny laughed and held up his hands.

 “This was all his idea, I had no part of it I swear.” he told his puzzled daughter as she followed Steve down in to the den, she stopped short when she saw what he was beaming at.

 His Fathers desk had been moved in front of the window, her 'Hello Kitty' Laptop now sat on top of it along with a can filled with pens and pencils and a stack of new drawing paper.

 “I figured you would need somewhere to do you're homework and nothing like a nice view of the ocean to help you concentrate is there. My father would have been very proud to know you were using his desk, he used to say it helped him to think better if he sat in here and worked.” Steve explained.

 Steve tugged her closer and showed her in each drawer there was things she might need for school work or projects, glitter, glue, and every other kind of crafting thing she may ever want. The shelves that lined the walls still held a lot of his fathers books but she saw he had moved the encyclopedias to a lower shelf so she could reach, along with her 'Harry Potter' and 'Twilight' Collections, photo's of her mum and Stan with baby Charlie were scattered around as well as some of her and Danno and one that was almost hidden at the back with herself, Steve and Danno that Kono had taken on the beach the day she had moved in.

Turning to Steve she picked the framed photo up and studied it closely, looking up in to his anxious face she smiled brightly and placed the photograph in pride of place on her desk. Steve caught her up in to his arms and hugged her tightly as Danny stood and watched them, his family, his true family.

He watched as Steve whispered something in her ear that made her eyes spill over and she hugged him tighter than ever, later that evening as Danny was making dinner he asked Steve what he had told her but before he could reply a soft voice spoke from the doorway.

“He told me there would always be space for Grace”

 Danny looked between them and saw the love that showed on each of their faces at the memory, finally ushering them in to the lounge to find a movie to watch he let himself have a moment to cry for the little girl he could have so easily lost in the shuffle that was an adults life.

 An hour or so later Danny lay sprawled on the couch snoring though the end of the movie, Grace and Steve were snuggled in the armchair laughing at him.

“He doesn't even like movies about Hawaii if Elvis isn't in them” Grace giggled as she watched the end of 'Lilo and Stich', Steve's choice of movie had been a good one she decided as the closing scene came on – As Stich began his final speech she heard Steve whispering the words with him, turning her head she saw he wasn't looking at the TV but at her as he quoted.

 “This is my family, I found it all on my own. It's little and broken but still good"  


 “Yeah still good” Grace whispered as she kissed his cheek and snuggled close, feeling for once she might have finally found a home.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed the story, i had no choice but to write this after watching 'Lilo and Stitch' one too many times with my daughter and also the idea popped in after listening to the song "Somewhere only we know" By Lily Allen.
> 
>  
> 
> Also I have not forgotten about 'Hitting the ground running" i promise, real life and major angst in that story have made parts hard to write but the new chapter should be up over the weekend!


End file.
